Cobalt 2.0 | The 5 P’s
As I look back on the last year, it is exciting to see the transformation that has taken place. Today’s website launch is the visible representation of countless hours of introspection, learning & discussion about the way forward. Brian (Seaborn) and I took a critical look at where we were with Cobalt Property Services and decided it was time to become more intentional about who we are and where we want to go. The end result of our efforts is what we call Cobalt 2.0. I’m excited to share it with you!
Personal Development
One of the primary drivers of action toward Cobalt 2.0 was my work with Joe Schum of Soul Patch Hippo: Success Coaching (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeschum/). This 6-month coaching engagement helped me to bring clarity to my personal values, in turn helping define how the business Brian and I built is an extension and expression of who we are. I had not grasped the depth of this interconnectedness previously. Thank you Joe for your thoughtful guidance!
Professional Development
It is mind-blowing, the amount of free resources available to learn about any given subject. We truly live in a unique time in world history, where much of the collective knowledge of humanity is accessible via a portable device that can fit in your pocket! I started listening to a number of podcasts over the last year, each providing incredible insights on property management best practices. One in particular that stood out was the podcast that Jason Hull from DoorGrow (https://doorgrow.com/) put out. I was really drawn to his holistic approach to improving your business and life simultaneously. Brian and decided in September to start working with the DoorGrow team to refresh the Cobalt brand, website & general approach. The result has been a sea change in how we operate and incredible optimism for the direction we are heading.
Purpose
“We go beyond great property management to positively impact the lives we touch and the communities we serve.”
In working with the coaches we have over the past year, it became clear that it was time to finally put a mission statement and core values of CPS in writing. (https://cobaltatl.com/about/mission/) In doing so, we recognized that we didn’t want to just check the boxes of being a competent manager, but go beyond that to actually positively impact the lives of all of our stakeholders (owners, residents, vendors, employees & our community). We recognize that as an organization we are not perfect and so we have encouraged feedback from everyone to assist us in addressing any blind spots we might have had. We have also become aware of the large audience we have, when considering the number of residents & owners we serve. We are determined to use our platform to positively impact the city of Atlanta by raising awareness and giving our own resources to our charitable partners doing great work (https://cobaltatl.com/charitable-partners/).
Programs
I’ve gotta admit it…I’m a tech junkie! I love gadgets and have always been fascinated by how technology impacts us, both positively and negatively. The property management industry is rapidly changing, with new tools at our disposal. We are dedicated as a Team to be willing to try new things, test their efficacy and implement them when they prove their value. The time and resource savings we see will allow us to further benefit all of our stakeholders. One such goal we have in this arena is to be 100% paperless by the end of 2018. We are well on our way, but this will continue to be an area in which we’ll need to be creative. We believe being early adopters will continue to give us a competitive advantage.
People
Our new motto is “New school tech. Old school respect.”. As important as the use of tech is for us, property management is still an industry that sees a great deal of personal interaction. I could not be prouder of Team Cobalt and the tremendous amount of respect they have for each other and those we serve. When you work in a housing-related field, you are addressing someone as it relates to their most intimate of places…their home. Our Team will continue to keep this in mind, attending to issues in an empathic manner.
Overall, I am thrilled to present to the world what Cobalt Property Services has to offer! 2017 set the stage for what is going to be a banner year ahead! #TeamCobalt #techandrespect
-John Rutledge